Wednesday, March 5, 2003

For a Change, a City Talks Food, Not Just Politics. Talk of war may dominate conversation in Washington's corridors of power, but there's a lot of eating going on all the same, particularly in Penn Quarter. By Marian Burros. 8:41:16 AM

Supreme Court Upholds Sex Offender Registration. The Supreme Court ruled today that states may put pictures of convicted sex offenders on the Internet without unconstitutionally punishing them twice. By The Associated Press. 8:41:14 AM

Iraq Scraps 9 More Banned Missiles. Iraq destroyed nine banned surface-to-surface al-Samoud 2 missiles today, bringing to 28 the number of scrapped rockets under the supervision of U.N. weapons inspectors. By Reuters. 8:41:06 AM

Driver Killed by Car Bomb in Paris. A car exploded in a residential area of Paris today, killing the driver, slightly injuring five bystanders and setting three nearby cars on fire. By The Associated Press. 8:41:06 AM

Pope Urges World to Avoid 'Dramatic Conflict'. Pope John Paul II, who strongly opposes any military action in Iraq, today called on all Catholics to observe a day of prayer and fasting in the hope of averting war. By Reuters. 8:41:05 AM

At Least 10 Die as Bomb Shreds Bus in Israel. The attack coincides with an Israeli military offensive against Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed. By James Bennet with Terence Neilan. 8:41:04 AM

Diplomatic Lines Harden Before Crucial U.N. Meeting on Friday. French, German and Russian foreign ministers said today that they would not permit passage of a U.N. measure to authorize an Iraq war. By John Tagliabue. 8:41:04 AM

National Briefing: Midwest. FLORIDA: Reconsidering Budget Expenses;. 8:41:02 AM

Gas Station to Pump Hydrogen. A Shell station in Washington will be the first gas station to dispense hydrogen at the pump. By John Tierney. 8:41:00 AM

Band Member Gives Grand Jury Testimony. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (AP) -- Members of a grand jury investigating the fire that consumed a nightclub have heard from at least one member of the band that was performing when the deadly blaze broke out. By The Associated Press. 8:40:57 AM

Technology Briefing: E-Commerce. GOOGLE INTRODUCES NEW AD SERVICE; ELECTRONIC ARTS DROPS PUBLIC OFFERING PLAN;. 8:40:54 AM

Technology Briefing: Hardware. OMM PLANS TO CEASE OPERATIONS;. 8:40:53 AM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. MOTOROLA SELLS 25 MILLION SHARES OF NEXTEL; 3COM SELLS COMMWORKS UNIT FOR $100 MILLION; ECHOSTAR REPORTS WIDER FOURTH-QUARTER LOSS;. 8:40:52 AM

Europe Hacker Laws Could Make Protest a Crime. The new laws intended to deter computer hacking could pose problems because the language could also outlaw people who organize protests online. By Paul Meller. 8:40:51 AM

Luis Marden, 90, Adventurer and Journalist, Is Dead. Luis Marden prowled the globe for National Geographic for 64 years, sometimes vanishing for months with little more than a medical kit. By Douglas Martin. 8:40:49 AM

John Mellencamp Records Antiwar Song. John Mellencamp's "From Washington" is one of the first new antiwar songs recorded by a multimillion-selling rocker. By Jon Pareles. 8:40:48 AM

Crisis in Italy's State Network Stirs New Claims Against Premier. Silvio Berlusconi is facing new accusations of conflict of interest, brought on by a crisis at the state broadcasting network RAI. By The New York Times. 8:40:47 AM

Gas Station to Pump Hydrogen. A Shell station in Washington will be the first gas station to dispense hydrogen at the pump. By John Tierney. 8:40:46 AM

Spherion Unit Is Acquired. By Bloomberg News. By Bloomberg News. 8:40:45 AM

Ruling on Victor vs. Victoria Offers Split Victory of Sorts. The Supreme Court offered something for both sides in its first interpretation of a new federal law intended to protect famous brand names. By Linda Greenhouse. 8:40:43 AM

Philip Morris to Leave New York. Philip Morris USA intends to end a 101-year relationship with New York City by moving its headquarters to Richmond, Va. By Janny Scott. 8:40:42 AM

Study Raises Estimate of the Nation's Uninsured. An estimated 75 million Americans were without health insurance at some point during the last two years, amounting to nearly a third of all Americans younger than 65. By Robin Toner. 8:40:42 AM

Unocal Is Sued by F.T.C. Over California Gas Patent. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint accusing the Unocal Corporation, of fraudulent and anticompetitive practices in obtaining patents for the production of cleaner-burning gasoline. By Neela Banerjee. 8:40:41 AM

Dollar Hits Its Lowest Point in 4 Years. The dollar fell to its lowest point in almost four years against the euro today after Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said that he was "not particularly concerned" about the dollar, which has dropped 20 percent in the last year against the euro. By Bloomberg News. 8:40:39 AM

Law Firms Move to Cut Costs, but Spare the Senior Partners. In law firms across the country, rainmakers and kingpins are hanging on to their expansive offices, even as they attack their real estate costs. By Michael Brick. 8:40:38 AM

Advancing Technology Tightens Building Security. Computerized systems in office buildings are now being widely deployed to ensure security. By Edwin Mcdowell. 8:40:36 AM

Bush Medicare Proposal Urges Switch to Private Insurers. President Bush opened a fractious new round in the Medicare debate by proposing comprehensive drug coverage for the elderly, if they switch to private insurance plans. By Robert Pear and Robin Toner. 8:40:35 AM

Martha Stewart Company Posts First Loss and Blames Inquiry. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia reported a loss of 3 cents a share from continuing operations for the fourth quarter. By Constance L. Hays. 8:40:34 AM

S.E.C. Chief Has Plan to Pick Audit Board Head. William H. Donaldson, the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has outlined the process to select the leader of a new accounting oversight board. By Stephen Labaton. 8:40:33 AM

Exxon Chief Says Oil Industry Is Already Jarred by Fears of War. The oil industry is already feeling powerful repercussions from the current economic and political volatility spawned by fears of war in the Persian Gulf, according to Lee Raymond, the chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil. By Neela Banerjee. 8:40:32 AM

Glaxo Loses Ruling in Patent Trial for Depression Drug. GlaxoSmithKline has lost a critical patent trial over its top-selling drug, Paxil, raising the risk that it will face generic competition for the medicine earlier than expected. By Reed Abelson. 8:40:31 AM

Rules Are Loosely Defined in Food Service Industry. Food service is a shadowy business, where accounting for rebates and promotions is loosely defined and the competition is fierce. By Constance L. Hays with Suzanne Kapner. 8:40:30 AM

F.T.C. Moves to Stop $2.8 Billion Ice Cream Deal. The Federal Trade Commission voted to seek a preliminary injunction to block the $2.8 billion merger of Nestle's United States ice cream business with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. By Sherri Day. 8:40:28 AM

Malpractice Insurance: No Clear or Easy Answers. President Bush is urging Congress to limit medical malpractice lawsuits. But a look at California's experience shows mixed results. By Joseph B. Treaster. 8:40:26 AM

U.S. Deficit Seen as Rising Fast. Congressional analysts have raised their estimate of this year's shortfall 15 percent beyond a forecast from five weeks ago. By Edmund L. Andrews. 8:40:25 AM

Stocks Rise in Early Trading. Investors waded through a wave of earnings reports from top-tier retailers and braced for developments on the international front. By Reuters. 8:40:24 AM

Biotech Mergers: Cash Talks Louder Than Technology. There have been many mergers in the biotechnology industry, but some companies are bought for their cash rather than their technology. By Andrew Pollack. 8:40:23 AM

Credit Suisse Banker Quits Amid Inquiries. Frank P. Quattrone, Credit Suisse First Boston's star investment banker, resigned after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into his banking practices. By Landon Thomas Jr.. 8:40:21 AM

Technology Briefing: E-Commerce. GOOGLE INTRODUCES NEW AD SERVICE; ELECTRONIC ARTS DROPS PUBLIC OFFERING PLAN;. 8:40:18 AM

Technology Briefing: Telecommunications. MOTOROLA SELLS 25 MILLION SHARES OF NEXTEL; 3COM SELLS COMMWORKS UNIT FOR $100 MILLION; ECHOSTAR REPORTS WIDER FOURTH-QUARTER LOSS;. 8:40:15 AM

Spitzer Is Said to Lower Sights in Criminal Inquiry on Banker. Prosecutors led by Eliot Spitzer have narrowed their investigation of Credit Suisse First Boston's star investment banker. By Landon Thomas Jr.. 8:40:08 AM

Laptops Win Over the Skeptics, Even in Maine. Just six months after Maine began providing laptop computers, educators are impressed by how quickly students and teachers have adapted to laptop technology. By Sarah Mahoney. 8:40:06 AM

Biotech Mergers: Cash Talks Louder Than Technology. There have been many mergers in the biotechnology industry, but some companies are bought for their cash rather than their technology. By Andrew Pollack. 8:40:05 AM

Europe Hacker Laws Could Make Protest a Crime. The new laws intended to deter computer hacking could pose problems because the language could also outlaw people who organize protests online. By Paul Meller. 8:40:04 AM